Eight blacksmiths arrested for aiding robbers

Eight blacksmiths have been arrested by the police for allegedly manufacturing and selling locally made guns to armed robbers.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra Thursday, the Director General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Commissioner of Police (COP) Prosper Kwame Agblor, said intelligence gathered by the CID led to the arrest on Monday May 19, 2014, of Daniel Forfoe, 45, a blacksmith, known for allegedly manufacturing and selling guns to armed robbers.

According to Mr Agblor, the suspect led the police to his workshop at Bawjiase in the Central Region where seven other blacksmiths were also arrested.

Mr Agblor said a search conducted at the workshop led to the retrieval of eight single-barrelled shotguns, three double-barrelled shotguns, one drilling machine, 12 gun butts, 18 gun barrels and one toolbox.

Mr Agblor stated that the CID administration was concerned about the proliferation of locally manufactured weapons, which, according to him, were mostly used by criminals to perpetuate crime.

Consequently, Mr Agblor told journalists that the CID had intensified its intelligence-gathering efforts to trace the source of locally manufactured weapons.

All eight suspects have been remanded in police custody to assist in investigations. Attempted robbery

In a related development, two suspected armed robbers have been arrested by the police for attempting to commit robbery.

Mr Agblor said intelligence gathered by the CID indicated that the suspects – Daniel Adekpui, 23, and Lewis Amissah, 24 – who were in the process of procuring guns and ammunition for the intended robbery, were arrested at Abeka Lapaz, in Accra.

He said both suspects had been remanded in police custody and were assisting in investigations. Indian hemp

In his address, Mr Agblor also announced that the Anti-Armed Robbery Squad of the CID had arrested five persons in possession of Indian hemp, popularly referred to as ‘wee’.

According to Mr Agblor, on May 20, 2014, the police had information that a robbery suspect, known as ‘Attroshie’ and linked to the Aburi Lighthouse Christian Orphanage robbery, was at Ajumako Besease in the Central Region to procure locally made weapons from a blacksmith.

He said personnel from the Anti Armed Robbery Squad of the CID proceeded to the town in pursuit of the suspected robber and arrested the five suspects who were allegedly parcelling dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.

Mr Agblor said Emmanuel Nukunu, suspected to be the owner of the suspected Indian hemp, mentioned Madam Kukua and her son, Paa Kwesi, as the real owners of the dried leaves.